Chelsea Place Former Barca Boss Luis Enrique at the Top of Their Shortlist to Replace Antonio Conte

Chelsea are supposedly keen to make Luis Enrique their next manager, with Antonio Conte looking increasingly likely to leave at the end of the season.

The Italian is expected to either quit or be fired in May, after frequently complaining about the state of his squad. He is also deemed responsible for the departure of last season's top goalscorer Diego Costa, and allegedly informed the striker by text that he wasn't to be a part of his plans for the current season.

BEN STANSALL/GettyImages

Conte's cause hasn't be helped by the fact that his replacement Alvaro Morata has not hit the ground running as anticipated this season.

So it's looking like Conte could be off barring a huge turnaround, and the Mail reckon the Blues are lining up former Barcelona manager Luis Enrique as his replacement.

The Spaniard is currently unattached after leaving Barcelona at the end of last season and is preferred over the likes of Max Allegri and Diego Simeone who both have two years to run on their respective deals at Juventus and Atletico Madrid.

Enrique delivered a famous treble for Barca during his second season at the Nou Camp, and Chelsea owner Roman Abramovic is thought to respect his credentials and achievements in the game so far.